Earlier in the morning there had also been severe delays for a time on the Hammersmith & City line due to a signal failure at Plaistow.

It was the second successive day of disruption on the Underground. Three Tube lines suffered delays in the morning rush-hour yesterday and there have been a number of other mornings lately when services have been disrupted.

Central line operations director Peter McNaught said: "I apologise to customers for the disruption they've suffered this morning on the Central line.

"This is due to the part-suspension of the line which was caused by a derailed engineering train during the night."

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is looking into the derailment.

Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said: "Our officials are seeking to obtain further information on the serious derailment last night.

"While the union seeks to establish the facts, the incident once again throws under the spotlight the ever present issue of safety on the Underground for both staff and passengers alike."